Flowmeter



March 23, 1943. RQjr. zwAcK FLOW METER Filed Feb. 13, 1942 INVENTOR.'

' Rf? 'mm1/0I Zwff, BY %Pf/77% Patented Mar. 23, 1943 UNITED FLOWMETERRaymond T. Zwack, East Orange, N. J., assigner to Bendix AviationCorporation, South Bend, Ind., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationFebruary 13, 1942, serial Nn.'.43o,s3s

4 claims. (o1, 'z3-241) This invention relates to flow meters, and moreparticularly to an instrument for totalizing the amount of flow of aliquid, such as fuel for an internal combustion engine.

- It is an object of the present invention t PIO- 5 vide a ow meter ofthe positive displacement type, having a totalizing counter, wherein thetotal flow-of fluid is measured by the amount displaced in the meter.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a iiow meter ofthe positive displacement type, wherein, by a unique valve arrangement,the ilow of liquid through the meter proper is facilitated.

Other objects will become` apparent from a .l5

study of the following specification when made in conjunction with theattached drawing, throughout which like numeralsfdesignate like parts.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal view infsection of one embodiment of thepresent invention, taken along the line of Fig. 2; and i y Fig. 2 is acentral cross-sectional view of the same embodiment, taken along the\lie2-2 of Fig. 1.

Many flow meters, particularly for the measure of the instantaneous rateof ow of fuel to an internal' combustion engine, have vbeen devised, andcertain attempts 'have been made in the past to provide a totalizingflow meterthat is, a flow meter that win indicate, at any instant, theabsoo lute quantity of iiuid thatl has been displaced from a reservoiror tank and has passed through the ow meter.

A good example of a rate-of-flow meter is that shown in the Zwack PatentNo, 2,248,030. 'I'he 35 present inventiomhowever, is directed to a meterfor totalizing the amount of iiow, and its operation will be readilyunderstood from the following description.

A generally cylindrical housing I0 has a ,con- 40 ventional attachingflange II, by which fit is mounted in a desired station, for example,the cockpit of. an aircraft, and has a front facing plate I3 attached byany desired means in a luid- 'carries a cup member I9, within the outerflange portion of which is secured an annular permanent magnet 20, whichmay be of the type shown at 4I in the above-identitied Zwack patent. Thecounter member I8 carries a conventional pointer- I2, which, incooperation with a suitable dial on the total amountl of ow` through themeter of the present invention'.

Housing II)- has a uid inlet 2| vand a iluid outthe front face ofcounterv I8, is used to indicate let-22. The inlet 2| opens into anannular space 23 within housing I0, this space being dened by thecylindrical wall of housing III, and by an annular cylinder block 24having a plurality of radially disposed cylinders 25 therein, and arotatable sleeve valve 26, which is centrally keyed to a. shaft 21,which passes through an aperture in the center of plate I3, and projectsinto a cap member' 28, having a flanged portion 29 welded or otherwisecarried upon the dished portion I4 of plate I3 in a uid-tightconnection. Cylinder block 24 is attached to the abutting endwall ofhousing I 0 by any ordinary means such as bolts or a weld. Shaft 21terminates in the cap portion 28 bearing a bar magnet 30 of anyconventional type. Piston members 3| are contained within cylinders 25and are connected to connect'- ing rods 32 through pin members 33. Theconnecting rods 32 all extend radially toward a central connector plate34, to which each of the connecting rods 32 is pivoted, by means of pinmembers 35. Plate 3l is connected to a -iace plate 36 of a crank pin 31,carried at the outer end of shaft 21. l

It will be noted that sleeve valve 26 extends about cylinder block 24for the major portion of its circumference, and that it completelycovers the top, or radially outermost, end of lve of the eight cylinders25, and is imperforate thus preventing liquid owing through inlet 2|into the annular space 23 from entering any of these covered cylinders.Of the ve cylinders covered at their outer ends by sleeve valve 26, one,which, in the drawing, is shown to be the topmost cylinder 25, is sealedby the inner wall of valve 26, while the outermost ends of the otherfour cylinders 25 are open to communication with the central innerportion or crank-case 39 of housing III, by means of a plurality ofiluted passageways 38, formed on the interior wall of sleeve valve 26and extending axially of valve 26. The -novel flow meter of the presentinventio is particularly well adapted to measure the now of fuel and oilin. aircraft, due to its light and compact design, and its operation isas follows:

Liquid entering through inlet 2| will immediately tl'ow throughout theannular space 2 3, iilling up all the available free space outside theincreases, and for course, as the demand for fuel l dropsoff, thepressure decreases correspondingly. When the iluid has lled the space23, the pressure on the pistons 3l that are not covered by valve 26,'will force these pistons 3| radially inwardly, causing the crank pin 31to be rotated,

thus driving shaft 21, and also carrying sleeve' valve 26 therewith,andthe permanent magnet 30 contained within the cap portion 28. The

speed with which pistons 3| move inwardly will depend upon the pressureof the liquid, and thus, as the flow increases, shaft 21 is drivenfaster, and when the flow decreases, shaft 21 is driven at a slowerrate, and in the total elapsed time during which the ow is beingmeasured, the amount of fuel passing through meter I will be totalizedon the conventional counter I8 and indicated by pointer I2.

The topmost piston 3| shown in the drawing, is at the bottom of itstravel in cylinder 25. The other pistons covered by valve 26 are atdierent vpoints of travel in an outward direction, and the liquid isdisplaced outwardly from these cylinders through the uted portions 3Binto the crank-case 39, whence it flows from the meter through theoutlet 22, and into a conventional fuel line. The topmost piston 3|being atthe bottom of its travel, then displacement of liquid outwardlyis not accomplished until the crank pin 31 has rotated the plate 34 afew degrees, by which time, the topmost cylinder 25 is covered, not bythe solid portion of valve 26, but by the fluted portions 38, and liquidmay be readily displaced through the passageways 38, into crankcase 39and through liquid outlet 22.

All the liquid entering through the inlet 2| must pass through thecylinders 25 and be displaced outwardly through the passageways 38 intocrank-case 39 prior to ejection into the fuel line through the outlet22. Thus, all the liquid entering inlet 2| is subject to measure by thepositive displacement in the cylinders25, and

i as the displacement is carried out, shaft 21 is being rotated at aspeed depending upon the rate of displacement, and therefore, pointer I2of counter I 8 may be calibrated to read directly in pounds or gallons,as desired.

It is obvious, of course, that shafts 21 and I'I may be linked by meansother than the magnetic couple shown, but when the magnetic couple isused, cap 28 connnes all liquid within housing I0, and the necessity foran inherently high-friction stung box required for a through-shaft iseliminated.

While only onev embodiment of the present invention has neen shown inthe drawing, itis to be i'nderstood that various changes may be madewithout departing from the scope of the present invention.. For thisreason, it is intended not to limit the invention by the descriptionherein given as an example, but solely by the scope of the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

1. A ilow meter comprising a closed, cylindrical housing having a uidinlet and a fluid outlet, an annular body xed coaxially within saidhousing, a plurality of equally spaced. radially disposed cylindersformed in said body. a piston in each of said cylinders. a crank-shaftcoaxially of said housing and annular body, a connector plate carried bysaid crank-shaft, connecting rods pivotally connected between each ofsaid pistons and said connector plate, a sleeve valve member overlyingsaid annular body for a major part of the periphery thereof, said sleevevalve member having connection to said crank-shaft through a radiallyprojecting, imperforate plate portion and having an axially -uted innersurface forming passageways for iiuid displaced from said cylinders,said passageways being in communication with said fluid outlet, andtotalizing means actuated upon rotation of said crank-shaft to indicatefluid flow.

2. A flow meter comprising a closed, cylindrical housing, a uid inletand a fluid outlet, said inlet and outlet being out of direct'iluidcommunication, an annular body coaxially disposed within said housing,said inlet being radially outwardly of said body and said outlet beingradially inwardly of said body, a plurality of equally spaced, radiallyextending cylinders formed in said body, a piston carried within each ofsaid cylinders, a crank-shaft disposed coaxially of said annular body,connecting rods pivotally connected to said pistons and to saidcrank-shaft, a sleeve valve overlying said annular body for the majorportion of its periphery, said valve being fastened to said crank-shaftthrough a radially extending, imperforate plate portion, means formed insaid valve for affording communication between said cylinders and saidoutlet, there being an annular chamber radially outwardly of said sleevevalve and in direct communication with said inlet, certain of saidcylinders being exposed to said chamber so that the pistons thereof maybe displaced inwardly by pressure of fluid entering through said inlet,and totalizing means actuated by rotation of said crank-shaft toindicate fluid ilow through said meter.

3. A flow meter comprising a closed, cylindrical housing having a iluidinlet and a uid outlet, an annularbody fixed coaxially within saidhousing, a plurality of radially disposed cylinders formed in saidannular body, a piston in each of said cylinders, a crank-shaftcoaxially of said housing and said annular body, connecting rodspivotally connected between each of said pistons and said crank-shaft,rotatable sleeve valve means of such angular extent as to overlieseveral of said cylinders, means for securing said valve to saidcrank-shaft to be rotatable therewith, fluid passageway means carried bysaid valve for aording communication between said cylinders and saidoutlet, there being an annular chamber defined by the cylindrical wallof said housing and annular body, said inlet being open to said chamberand said cylinders being open thereto in sequence upon rotation of saidvalve, and totalizing means driven by said crank-shaft for measuring theamount of fluid flow through said housing.

4. A flow meter comprising a closed, cylindrical housing, a fluid inletand a iluid outlet, said inlet and outlet being out of direct fluidcommunication, an annular body coaxially disposed within said housing,said inlet being radially outwardly of said body and said outlet beingradially inwardly of said body, a plurality of radially extendingcylinders formed in said body, a piston reciprocable Within each of saidcylinders, a crank-shaft disposed coaxially of said annular body,connecting rods pivotally connected to said pistons and to lsaidcrank-shaft, an arcuate valve overlying said annular body of sucientextent to cover several of said cylinders, said valve being secured tosaid crank-shaft, means disposed on said valve for aording fluidcommunication between said cylinders and said outlet, there being anannular chamber within said housing radially outwardly of said valve andin direct communication with said inlet, certain of said cylinders beingsequentially open to said chamber by said valve, so that iluid may flowinto said open cylinders and depress said pistons, thus rotating saidcrank-shaft and said valve, and means driven by said crank-shaft-forindicating fluid flow.

- RAYMOND T. Zl/v..CK.

